Lesson 1 – Introduction to Biostatistics

Statistics

- art of conducting a study, analyzing the data, and derive useful conclusions from numerical
outcomes about real life problems
- science of learning from the data

Biostatistics

- when tools of statistics are applied to the data that is derived from biological sciences
- application can be seen in clinical trials
- Etymology
o Bio
 life
o Statistics
 science dealing with the collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of
numerical data
- Domain of Statistics
o Descriptive Statistics (ISUMMURAZE ANG DATA!)
 Different methods applied in order to summarize and present data in a form
which will make them easier to analyze and interpret.
 Methods:
 Data Presentation
o Narrative
 describe the data through words
 hindi gaanong ka-effective!
o Tabulation
 uses tables
 e.g. frequency table, cross tabulation
o Graphical presentation
 Use graphs & charts
 e.g. bar graph, line graph, pie chart
 Data Summarization
o Central Tendency
 Mean, median, and mode
o Dispersion
o Location
 Mean, median, and mode
o Inferential Statistics (MAGPEPREDICT!)
 Method used to make generalizations and conclusions about a target population
based on results from a sample.
 Sampling
 Random or not bias
 Sampling Error is inevitable
 o Difference between a parameter and a corresponding statistics
 Parameter
 the number describing the whole population
 Methods:
 Estimation
o Point Estimates
 Single value estimate of a parameter
 e.g. a sample mean is a point estimate of a population
mean.
o Interval Estimates
 Range of values wherein the parameter is within there.
 e.g. 50-60, 50-100
 Hypothesis Testing
o a formal process of statistical analysis using inferential statistics
o goal: compare population between variables using samples
o Comparisons of Means and Proportion
o Establishing the Existence of Relationships between Variables

Sir Francis Galton

- father of biostatistics

Uses of Biostatistics

- tool for evidence-based decision-making

o use for making plans in the field of health
o develop statistical methodologies to address questions arising from medical or public
health data
- vital for problem identification, needs assessment, targeting, prioritization and allocation,
especially of limited resources and program evaluation
- necessary to systematically deal with the phenomenon of variability
o variability
 lacks consistency
- aids the researcher in designing the research project, in processing, organizing, summarizing and
interpreting data, and valid conclusions
- ultimate goal: to improve the health of individual and also the community!

Data

- observed values of a variable

- Types of Data
o Constant (DI NAGBABAGO!!)
 value remains the same
 e.g. gravity, speed of light, number of minutes in an hour
o Variable (NAGBABAGO!!)
 Value or categories differ and cannot be predicted with certainty
  E.g. sex, blood cell count, blood pressure
 Types:
 Qualitative (LABEL!)
o Simply descriptions or labels to distinguish one group from
another.
o e.g. sex
 Quantitative (HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, HOW OFTEN)
o Can be measured and ordered according to amount of quantity
and can be expressed numerically
o e.g. blood cell count, blood pressure
o Types:
 Discrete (WHOLE NUMBERS)
 Countable in a finite amount of time
 Continuous (KAPAG MAY DECIMAL)
 Value is obtained by measuring
 e.g. age, time

Scale of Measurement

- Ratio
o Exact differences between categories can be measured
o Has fixed zero point
o e.g. age, weight, blood glucose level, hospital bed capacity
- Interval
o Exact differences between categories can be measured
o Has zero-point is arbitrary; no true value of zero
o e.g. temperature, calendar time
- Ordinal
o have order or ranking
o e.g. birth order, size of t-shirt
- Nominal
o Categories are simply labels
o e.g. religion